There's still a long way to go, warns heroic Given

Shay Given's heroics were compressed into three minutes at Lansdowne Road to ensure the Republic of Ireland put one foot in the World Cup finals, but there's still no guarantee it will not all end in tears again for him in Tehran.

Shay Given's heroics were compressed into three minutes at Lansdowne Road to ensure the Republic of Ireland put one foot in the World Cup finals, but there's still no guarantee it will not all end in tears again for him in Tehran.

It's four years since the Newcastle keeper wept as he trudged off the Heysel Stadium pitch after Belgium had ended Ireland's hopes of reaching the World Cup with a 2-1 win in the second leg of a play-off.

Now the Irish must take a daunting trip to Iran for another date with destiny on Thursday in front of a 100,000-plus crowd.

By kick-off time in the boiling cauldron of the Azadi Stadium their two-goal lead from Saturday's home leg may look slim.

Ian Harte scored a cool penalty to break 43 minutes of Irish frustration before his Leeds United team-mate Robbie Keane ended a 14-month international drought with a glorious strike to double the advantage seven minutes into the second half.

And with every expectancy of further goals to come in a match that Mick McCarthy's team had totally dominated to that point, thousands of Irishmen must have been mentally putting aside the money they will need to finance four weeks in Japan and South Korea next summer.

Instead, Iran suddenly began to live up to their reputation as a menacing attacking force which had not previously been seen on the night. And Given was required to make two stunning saves from Ali Karemi to keep the Irish dream afloat.

An away goal for the Iranians would have been a massive blow - and a painful reminder of how much it cost the Irish when, two years ago, Turkey scored a late equaliser at Lansdowne Road in the play-off for a place in Euro 2000, and eventually went through by merely ensuring the second leg stayed scoreless in Bursa a week later.

Given, who missed both those games through injury, said: "Hopefully my two saves against Iran will turn out to be the most important I've made for Ireland because away goals mean so much in situations like this.

"When Belgium and Turkey got a goal each here in those other play-offs it meant it was always going to be tough going to places like that for a second leg. And as everybody knows that's just how it turned out.

"Now we've got a lead for a change but we just have to hope that it is enough.

"It is not over by any means and we've got a big professional job to do in Tehran, but we're so close to the World Cup now that we're nearly touching it.

"If we can get a goal over there it means they have got to get four and so we have to be optimistic, but there is still a long way to go."

It would have seemed even longer if Ali Karemi had not twice encountered Given at his very best just after the hour-mark on Saturday night.

"The first was just a one-on-one and his first touch was a bit heavy," said Given.

"So I just decided to go and get it and dived at his feet. The second time he did really well to go past Gary Breen and get a shot in. I just tried to get my feet right to make sure I had the leverage for the dive to push it away."

Those saves were enough to earn Given the sponsors' man-of-the-match award - even though he was unemployed for most of the game.

And that is a sure sign of the unease Ireland must feel about their second-leg journey into the unknown.

Boss McCarthy is doing his best to remain upbeat, although Roy Keane's withdrawal with a knee injury is a big blow.

Keane, who went into his first match in a month with a damaged knee and, by his own admittance, played below his considerable best, said: "It is not a bad result, one what we would have taken before the start but we were disappointed in the way we played. We can do a lot better. We hit the ball too long too often in the first half and that put a lot of pressure on big Niall (Quinn).

"Fortunately, we improved after scoring the penalty and Robbie got a great goal for the second but then we had to depend on Shay's concentration levels being very high.

"He was alive to it and that's his job but it will be important to keep it tight over there in the first half and keep the crowd quiet."

Sunderland striker Quinn, who is a doubt for Thursday with a back injury, added: "Although we're pleased with 2-0 in the first leg we are not exactly jumping up and down.

"If we go for an early goal out there and get it that would be great but that's up to Mick to decide. I think the emphasis will have to be on not going forward too much." Elsewhere in the World Cup play-offs, Michael Ballack's first-half goal earned Germany a 1-1 draw in Kiev.

A win for Rudi Voller's team in Wednesday's second leg in Dortmund will take them to the finals for the 13th successive time. Ukraine's early pressure paid in the 18th minute when Andrei Shevchenko's free-kick bounced into the path of Hennady Zubov who scored from close range.

But Germany were level by the half-hour when Ballack scored after Schneider's free-kick reached him.

In Ljubljana, Milan Osterc's goal 15 minutes from time gave Slovenia a 2-1 lead over Romania to take to Bucharest.

Belgium captain Gert Verheyen scored the only goal as his side beat the Czech Republic 1-0 in Brussels.

Okan Buruk's strike gave Turkey a 1-0 away win over Austria in Vienna.